Sex and Gender Aspects for Patient Stratification in Allergy Prevention and Treatment.

Allergies are rapidly worsening in recent decades, representing the most common immunological diseases. The mechanism of disorders such as asthma, rhinocongiuntivitis, urticaria, atopic dermatitis, food and drug allergies, and anaphylaxis still remain unclear and consequently treatments is mostly still symptomatic and aspecific while developments of new therapies are limited. A growing amount of data in the literature shows us how the prevalence of allergic diseases is different in both sexes and its changes over the course of life. Genes, hormones, environmental and immunological factors affect sex disparities associated with the development and control of allergic diseases, while they more rarely are considered and reported regarding their differences related to social, psychological, cultural, economic, and employment aspects. This review describes the available knowledge on the role of sex and gender in allergies in an attempt to improve the indispensable gender perspective whose potential is still underestimated while it represents a significant turning point in research and the clinic. It will offer insights to stimulate exploration of the many aspects still unknown in this relationship that could ameliorate the preventive, diagnostic, and therapeutic strategies in allergic diseases.

Mob4 is required for neurodevelopment in zebrafish.

Mob4 is an essential evolutionary conserved protein shown to play roles in cell division and neural development. Mob4 is a core component of the macromolecular STRIPAK complex involved in various critical cellular processes, from cell division to signal transduction pathways. However, Mob4 remains relatively poorly understood. Although the consequences of eliminating Mob4 function in Drosophila are described, its function in vertebrate development remains largely unknown. Here we show that knockdown and knockout of Mob4 during zebrafish embryogenesis limits neuronal cell divisions but has little effect on apoptosis, thus arguing a role for mob4 in neurodevelopment.

Experience of a resident physician in general surgery basic area on board of an expedition in the amazon river.

Located in areas of difficult access, the riverside population of the upper Amazon River has a great demand for health care, whether in the scope of basic health promotion or in general or specialized medical care, surgical procedures, dental and pharmaceutical care. Taking this to consideration, the Barco Hospital Papa Francisco project was conceived and implemented, which aims to provide health care to riverside communities through expeditions that safely transfer health resources to populations located on the banks of the river. Having participated in one of the expeditions, it was possible to carry out a survey of data regarding the attendance and writing of a personal report on the impact on the professional activity. The expedition allowed the performance of a large number of surgical procedures in a condensed period, covering a wide variety of technical approaches essential to the performance of the general surgeon, among them, we can mention inguinal and incisional hernioplasties, umbilical and inguinal herniorrhaphy, postectomy and tubal ligation, lipoma excision, sebaceous cyst excision, nevi excision, among others (data available in the vessels Wareline® system).

Gender Differences in Osteoporosis: A Single-Center Observational Study.

PURPOSE: Osteoporosis affects more than 200 million people worldwide: its prevalence increases with age and is actually growing due to the constant population aging. Women are at greater risk than men, but in recent years it has become increasingly evident that osteoporosis represents a significantly important problem also for men. However, osteoporosis in men is still poorly studied, underdiagnosed and inadequately treated. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We conducted an observational study to identify any gender disparities in osteoporosis screening. For this purpose we observed people consecutively admitted at our Outpatient Service for the Diagnosis of Osteoporosis during the last 3 years. Patients underwent clinical and laboratory assessment and bone mineral density (BMD) measurements by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. Bone turnover serum markers have been evaluated and stratified according to gender. RESULTS: Out of 3,752 patients, 2,376 subjects who met the inclusion criteria were identified. As expected, the great majority (94.5%) of the screened subjects were women and only 5.4% were men. Women exhibited lower BMD compared to men (T-score values: -2.33±1.14 vs. -1.31±1.55; p<0.001), whereas the prevalence of fractures in osteoporotic men was significantly higher (50% vs. 31%; p<0.001). Women had lower vitamin D and higher bone remodeling markers compared to men. Secondary osteoporosis was more frequent in men (66.67%) than in women (20.83%) and the calculated risk for hip fractures was higher in osteoporotic men compared to women (11.47±10.62 vs. 6.87±7.73; p<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Here we highlighted that men are under-screened for osteoporosis and exhibit secondary osteoporosis more frequently than women.

Experience of a resident physician in general surgery basic area on board of an expedition in the amazon river / Experiencia de médica residente em aréa básica de cirurgia geral em expedição embarcada no alto rio amazonas

ABSTRACT Located in areas of difficult access, the riverside population of the upper Amazon River has a great demand for health care, whether in the scope of basic health promotion or in general or specialized medical care, surgical procedures, dental and pharmaceutical care. Taking this to consideration, the Barco Hospital Papa Francisco project was conceived and implemented, which aims to provide health care to riverside communities through expeditions that safely transfer health resources to populations located on the banks of the river. Having participated in one of the expeditions, it was possible to carry out a survey of data regarding the attendance and writing of a personal report on the impact on the professional activity. The expedition allowed the performance of a large number of surgical procedures in a condensed period, covering a wide variety of technical approaches essential to the performance of the general surgeon, among them, we can mention inguinal and incisional hernioplasties, umbilical and inguinal herniorrhaphy, postectomy and tubal ligation, lipoma excision, sebaceous cyst excision, nevi excision, among others (data available in the vessels Wareline® system).

RESUMO Localizadas em áreas de difícil acesso, a população ribeirinha do alto rio Amazonas apresenta grande demanda assistencial de saúde, seja ela no âmbito de promoção de saúde básica seja no atendimento médico geral ou especializado, procedimentos cirúrgicos, atendimentos odontológicos e farmacêutico. Frente a isso, foi idealizado e concretizado o projeto do Barco Hospital Papa Francisco, que visa o atendimento de saúde às comunidades ribeirinhas através de expedições que deslocam os recursos de saúde de forma segura até as populações situadas às margens do rio. Tendo participado de uma das expedições, foi possível realizar levantamento de dados referente aos atendimentos e redação de relato pessoal sobre o impacto na atividade profissional. A expedição proporcionou a realização de grande número de procedimentos cirúrgicos em um período condensado, abrangendo ampla variedade de abordagens técnicas imprescindíveis à atuação do cirurgião geral, entre elas, pode-se citar hernioplastias inguinal e incisional, herniorrafia umbilical e inguinal, postectomia e laqueadura, exérese de lipomas, exérese de cisto sebáceo, exérese de nevos, entre outras (dados disponíveis em sistema Wareline® da embarcação).

Perfil epidemiológico da hipospádia na Região Bragantina do estado de São Paulo, Brasil / Epidemiological profile of hypospadias in the Bragantina region of the state of São Paulo, Brazi

Modelo de estudo: Estudo de prevalência. Objetivo do estudo: Avaliar o perfil epidemiológico dos casos de hipospádia atendidos no Hospital São Francisco na Providência de Deus da Universidade São Francisco (HUSF), Bra-gança Paulista/SP nos últimos 10 anos (2007-2017), relacionando os tipos de hipospádia com as malformações asso-ciadas e idade à primeira cirurgia corretiva. Metodologia: Foi realizado um levantamento de casos de hipospádia atendidos entre 2007 e 2017 no HUSF, com pacientes oriundos das cidades da Região Bragantina do estado de São Paulo. Os tipos de hipospádia foram relacionados com as malformações associadas. Foram pesquisados nos prontuários: tipo de hipospádia, idade à primeira cirurgia, laudo de exame ultrassonográfico, etnia, local de nascimento e malformação associada. Os dados foram analisados estatisticamente utilizando os testes Qui-quadrado, teste F e de Kruskal-Wallis. Resultados: Em 1401 atendimentos pediátricos no período avaliado, foram encontrados 45 casos de hipospádia com prevalência igual a 0,7/1000 nascidos vivos. Do total de casos, 29 foram classificados como do tipo distal, seis casos de hipospádia média e 10 casos do tipo proximal [F-test (2,8)=5,552; P=0,003; χ2=9,3117; P=0,009]. Nos casos de hipospádia distal, foram detectadas 16 malformações associadas e, nos tipos média e proximal, foram observadas sete malformações associadas em cada uma (KW=3,322, P=0,19). O maior número de casos foi abordado cirurgica-mente no intervalo entre os três e quatro anos de idade. Conclusão: A hipospádia distal foi a mais prevalente, com idade à primeira cirurgia em desacordo com o intervalo proposto para a correção da hipospádia. (AU)

Study model: a Prevalence study. Objective: Evaluating the epidemiological profile of hypospadias cases assisted in the Hospital São Francisco na Providência de Deus of the Universidade São Francisco (HUSF), Bragança Paulista, Brazil, in the last 10 years (2007-2017), relating the types of hypospadias with associated malformations and age at the first corrective surgery. Methodology: A survey of hypospadias cases assisted between 2007 and 2017 in HUSF was carried out with patients from the Bragantina region of the state of São Paulo. The types of hypospadias were related to the associated malformations. The following data were collected from the medical records: type of hypospadias, age at first surgery, ultrasound imaging, ethnicity, place of birth, associated malformation. Data were statistically analyzed using Chi-squared, F-test and Kruskal-Wallis tests. Results: In 1401 pediatric assistances, it was found 45 cases of hypo-spadias with a prevalence of 0.7/1000 births. From the total, 29 cases were classified as distal, six cases of medium, and 10 cases as proximal types [F-test (2.8)=5.552, P=0.003, χ2=9.3117, P=0.009]. Cases of distal hypospadias had 16 associated malformations, and for medial and proximal types there were seven associated malformations in each one (KW=3.322, P=0.19). The largest number of cases was surgically corrected between three and four years of age. Conclusion: Distal hypospadias were the most prevalent in the Bragantina region in the last 10 years. It was also ob-served that the age at first surgery is in disagreement with the range proposed for the corrective approach of hypospadia (AU)

The mitochondrial genome of the stingless bee Melipona bicolor (Hymenoptera, Apidae, Meliponini): sequence, gene organization and a unique tRNA translocation event conserved across the tribe Meliponini

At present a complete mtDNA sequence has been reported for only two hymenopterans, the Old World honey bee, Apis mellifera and the sawfly Perga condei. Among the bee group, the tribe Meliponini (stingless bees) has some distinction due to its Pantropical distribution, great number of species and large importance as main pollinators in several ecosystems, including the Brazilian rain forest. However few molecular studies have been conducted on this group of bees and few sequence data from mitochondrial genomes have been described. In this project, we PCR amplified and sequenced 78 percent of the mitochondrial genome of the stingless bee Melipona bicolor (Apidae, Meliponini). The sequenced region contains all of the 13 mitochondrial protein-coding genes, 18 of 22 tRNA genes, and both rRNA genes (one of them was partially sequenced). We also report the genome organization (gene content and order), gene translation, genetic code, and other molecular features, such as base frequencies, codon usage, gene initiation and termination. We compare these characteristics of M. bicolor to those of the mitochondrial genome of A. mellifera and other insects. A highly biased A+T content is a typical characteristic of the A. mellifera mitochondrial genome and it was even more extreme in that of M. bicolor. Length and compositional differences between M. bicolor and A. mellifera genes were detected and the gene order was compared. Eleven tRNA gene translocations were observed between these two species. This latter finding was surprising, considering the taxonomic proximity of these two bee tribes. The tRNA Lys gene translocation was investigated within Meliponini and showed high conservation across the Pantropical range of the tribe.

Mitochondrial tRNA gene translocations in highly eusocial bees

Mitochondrial gene rearrangement events, especially involving tRNA genes, have been described more frequently as more complete mitochondrial genome sequences are becoming available. In the present work, we analyzed mitochondrial tRNA gene rearrangements between two bee species belonging to the tribes Apini and Meliponini within the "corbiculate Apidae". Eleven tRNA genes are in different genome positions or strands. The molecular events responsible for each translocation are explained. Considering the high number of rearrangements observed, the data presented here contradict the general rule of high gene order conservation among closely related organisms, and also represent a powerful molecular tool to help solve questions about phylogeny and evolution in bees.